NEW YORK, July 9 (Reuters) – New York sued 3M, DuPont and other companies on Thursday for causing a public nuisance by selling “forever chemicals” that they knew were toxic, for use in consumer products.
The state’s Attorney General Letitia James accused the companies of hiding the chemicals’ environmental and health risks from consumers for decades, even as they began phasing out some of the chemicals, which are known as PFAS.
James is seeking a court order requiring the companies to fund cleanup efforts, and to properly warn consumers about the risks. She is also seeking damages, restitution and other penalties.
Other defendants include Chemours, Corteva and EIDP, which were part of DuPont prior to spinoffs. The lawsuit was filed in a state court in Albany, which is New York’s capital.
“For far too long, our communities have unfairly shouldered the costs of protecting people from these toxic forever chemicals and cleaning up their contamination,” James said in a statement. “I look forward to ensuring the companies responsible for PFAS pollution are held accountable.”
The defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are found in hundreds of consumer and commercial products including cosmetics, non-stick pans and stain-resistant clothing.
They are known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down easily in the human body or environment. PFAS have been linked to negative health effects including higher cholesterol, low birth weight, reduced antibody response to vaccines, and kidney and testicular cancer.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama )
